Audio 2:58
Gonski and 457 changes still up in the air

Naomi WoodleyUpdated
Wed 26 Jun 2013, 8:54 AM AEST

The Federal Government is still negotiating over two of its key policy priorities, midway through the final week of this Parliament. The bill for its Gonski school funding plan should get through the Senate today, but that won't guarantee all states and territories will sign on by the deadline of this Sunday. And the Government is still negotiating with the cross bench to get enough support for its plan to tighten the rules around 457 visas for skilled migrants.

Transcript

TONY EASTLEY: Midway through the last week of the 43rd Federal Parliament, two key Government policies still hang in the balance.

The legislation for the Gonski school funding plan is likely to get through the Senate today, but several states are still refusing to sign on to the $15 billion plan.

And the Government is still working to secure enough support to toughen up the rules for the 457 temporary skilled migrant program.

From Canberra, Naomi Woodley reports.

NAOMI WOODLEY: The Federal Government was hopeful that there would be a vote on its 457 bill last night.

ANNA BURKE: It being 9.30pm I propose the question: That the House do now adjourn.

NAOMI WOODLEY: But once other votes were out of the way there was less than 10 minutes discussion before MPs had to move on to the adjournment debate.

The bill would impose penalties on employers who abuse the 457 program and force some to check first that there isn't an Australian worker available for a position before bringing someone in from overseas.

The Greens MP Adam Bandt is moving an amendment to remove the Minister's ability to exempt some industries from labour market testing.

ADAM BANDT: Well look I'm not going to stand in the way of reform happening in this Parliament. This is, the idea of advertising before 457 visas are granted is something the Greens have been pushing for for some time. I'm still yet to be convinced by the Government that there's a good case for excluding people like nurses or like engineers.

NAOMI WOODLEY: He has the support of the independent Andrew Wilkie. Another crossbencher, Tony Windsor, has amendments of his own but won't yet release the fine details.

TONY WINDSOR: There is rorting - I don't think to the extent that the Minister has said, but there is rorting. Hopefully we can come up with a simplified arrangement where Australians are first in line but we don't overcomplicate it so that business can't, you know, actively work.

NAOMI WOODLEY: The Opposition's spokesman Scott Morrison says while they won't support the bill, they are in talks with Mr Windsor.

SCOTT MORRISON: That amendment, based on our discussions, may make a very bad bill a little less worse. We would take that opportunity to support something like that if it was in a form that we thought was appropriate.

NAOMI WOODLEY: The Government too is still in discussions with the crossbench and the Greens' Adam Bandt says its approach should see the bill get through.

ADAM BANDT: It's quite different to things like the media reform where they've just said it's take it or leave it.

NAOMI WOODLEY: If and when it does, it also has to get through the Senate before Parliament rises at the end of the week.

The Australian Education Bill to codify the Gonski school funding plan is already there and should pass as early as today. But the bill doesn't refer to the Prime Minister's deadline for state governments to sign on by this Sunday.

PETER GARRETT: We have a deadline. We'll continue our negotiations with the states. I'm confident that we will see more states come on board.

NAOMI WOODLEY: On 7.30, the School Education Minister Peter Garrett was talking up the chances of other states joining New South Wales, the ACT and South Australia in agreeing to the plan. But at least Queensland and Western Australia remain firmly opposed.